Last updated November 4, 2026
Our team compiled data from 103 of our agency’s B2C clients and research from 2021 through October 2026 to determine average customer acquisition cost (CAC) in 20 B2C industries.
CAC is one of the core metrics for judging marketing efficiency, and it is most useful alongside Customer LTV. Our organic CAC data is gathered primarily from SEO and Organic Social, and is weighted more heavily toward SEO. Our paid CAC data consists of PPC / SEM and Paid Social. We do not include email marketing, direct mail, outdoor advertising, or other channels here. Those are covered in our report on Average CAC by Channel.
In the sections below, we break down CAC by industry, compare organic and paid costs, and show how to interpret the results.
Average Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) By Industry
In the table below, we break down average organic and paid CAC in 20 B2C industries.
Average Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) By Industry, 2026
| Industry | Average Organic CAC | Average Paid CAC |
| Addiction Treatment | $357 | $506 |
| Automotive | $185 | $236 |
| Aviation | $475 | $708 |
| CBD | $87 | $72 |
| Construction | $201 | $294 |
| eCommerce | $74 | $79 |
| Electrical Contractors | $98 | $121 |
| Entertainment | $82 | $106 |
| Financial Services | $161 | $197 |
| Higher Education & College | $134 | $177 |
| Home Builders | $151 | $197 |
| Home Services | $90 | $116 |
| Hotels & Resorts | $229 | $279 |
| HVAC Services | $83 | $98 |
| Legal Services | $208 | $516 |
| Medical Device | $131 | $126 |
| Medical Practices | $128 | $194 |
| Real Estate | $114 | $260 |
| SaaS | $150 | $223 |
| Solar Energy | $206 | $288 |
Our researchers took three main points from this data:
- We found Aviation the most expensive industry on both measures, at $475 organic and $708 paid.
- Our data showed the lowest organic CAC in eCommerce at $74 and the lowest paid CAC in CBD at $72.
- We found average costs of $167 for organic and $240 for paid across the 20 industries.
Organic Versus Paid CAC
In the table below, we show the five industries with the largest dollar gap between paid and organic CAC, along with the two where organic costs more.
Organic Versus Paid CAC, 2026
| Industry | Organic CAC | Paid CAC | Paid Minus Organic |
| Legal Services | $208 | $516 | $308 |
| Aviation | $475 | $708 | $233 |
| Addiction Treatment | $357 | $506 | $149 |
| Real Estate | $114 | $260 | $146 |
| Construction | $201 | $294 | $93 |
| Medical Device | $131 | $126 | -$5 |
| CBD | $87 | $72 | -$15 |
Three findings stood out to our team:
- We found organic CAC below paid CAC in 18 of 20 industries.
- Our data showed Legal Services with the largest gap, with paid CAC at 2.5 times organic.
- We found CBD and Medical Device as the two exceptions. We suspect narrow audiences play a part.
Interpreting Your CACs
Most companies should aim for an LTV to CAC ratio of at least 3:1. A ratio under 3:1 indicates that marketing is producing low returns. Average lifetime value (LTV) is calculated from average profit per customer multiplied by the average number of years a customer continues to purchase.
For companies looking to lower their CAC, our customer acquisition strategy guide is a useful starting point. Organic CACs run below paid in most industries, so we suspect organic services such as work from an SEO agency can produce the largest reduction over time.
Requesting a Copy of This Report
If you’d like to request a PDF copy of this report or learn more about our agency, you can reach out here.
- First Page Sage Research Study. First Page Sage. November 2026. San Francisco, California.
- Customer Acquisition Cost Trends: 2026 Report. Focus Digital. 2026. Greensboro, North Carolina.
- LTV:CAC Ratio Benchmarks 2026. Foundry CRO. 2026.
- Average CAC by Ecommerce Vertical 2026. Eightx. June 2026.
